5 days to go - First Rehearsals & Ranking Luxembourg's 5 Winners

Oh my good god we are 5 days to go till Eurovision 2016 Semi Final Number 1 and I am very excited.

The first rehearsals are now over for all those seeking qualification and it was exciting to get a taste of what is to come! For the last few years I've been bogged down with essays and revision and its finally so exciting to throw myself head first into the rehearsals and enjoy Eurovision prep week for all it's worth.


Winners and losers of rehearsals

Well getting a great big fat A* from me is Jamala and Ukraine with '1944'. Anyone who has followed me knows I absolutely hate the song, BUT she has so brought it to Eurovision. Everything is there and I'm sure once we are a couple of hours away from the final I might have to accept the fact that she could win, even if I don't personally like the vocals.

It appears that Azerbaijan could be an almighty flop, and well Donny Montell's efforts for Lithuania appear to be slightly embarrassing so far...but come on people, nothing happened for Eneda and Albania! I have never disliked the song, I don't think there is overly anything wrong with it. But please! At least try to make the most forgettable song of the contest interesting! Literally nothing happened, and at this moment, I'd be surprised if she scores any points...


Ranking Luxembourg's 5 Winners

As you can see, my plan with 5 days to go is to rank Luxemourg's 5 winners. Over my last few posts I've focussed primarily on the last few years of the contest as they naturally just stick in your mind more. That's why I planned to be counting down Luxembourg's 5 winners, because we haven't seen them compete since 1993! It is truly phenomenal that a country that small has the 3rd highest amount of wins (along with France and the UK, behind Sweden with 6, and Ireland with 7), and so without any further ado...

#5 1983 Corinne Hermes 'Si La Vie Est Cadeau'

She might have an amazing vocal, but I just don't appreciate this song at all. Soz...

#4 1961 Jean-Claude Pascal 'Nous Les Amoureux'

Not the worst of the early winners, but certainly forgettable, even if Jean-Claude Pascal isn't...

#3 1972 Vicky Leandros 'Apres Toi'

I adore this record. I get lost in the juxtaposition of an uplifting beat, lyrically rich in tragedy.

#2 1965 France Gall 'Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son'

It's a real tough tussle for 1st and 2nd with me, but my number one edges it for the vocals. Nothing should detract away from how fantastic this winner was from 1965. Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son may now be a touchy subject for France herself, but it was the first non-ballad to win and ultimately change the shape of the contest.

#1 1973 Anne-Marie David 'Tu Te Reconnaitras'

One of the best winners ever? It's certainly up there for me. I never use to appreciate this, but after one proper listen I implore you to not have this stuck in your head.

This win also gave Luxembourg the first 'double' if you don't count Spain in 68 and 69 and for obvious reasons, noone ever does...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Yes it's the day of the IRISH!

In a special celebration of the patron saint of Ireland, I shall be donning green for the day and celebrating all that is Irish! We're having Irish Breakfast for dinner, lots of potatoes, and a lot of Guinness. Ironic for an Englishman who forgets St. George's Day every year. It seems very fitting then to celebrate Ireland in Eurovision, taking a look back at the 1994 contest.

20 years ago, Ireland did the seemingly impossible, by winning Eurovision 3 years in a row. "Rock N Roll Kids" was the winning song by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan. Not the most popular winner there's ever been, but they did storm the scoreboard with a staggering 226 points from only 25 countries. The year also featured the debut of many countries; Poland finished 2nd which should officially go down as the best debut (Switzerland won the inaugural contest in 1956, and Serbia won on their return in 2007 following separation with Montenegro). My personal favourite of the year was Hungary. A truly beautiful song "Kinek mondjam el vetkeimet?" by Frederika Bayer finished 4th, and is often held in very high regard amongst Eurofanatics. It is Hungary's best finish so far, so we wish them Good Luck for 2014! Meanwhile, 1994 also had it's downs. Powerhouses like Luxembourg (who still have one of the best records in the contest) retired for good, as well as Italy taking a hiatus. And there was that bizarre relegation rule which we won't go into. Oh and I almost forgot...the 1994 contest was the first year we got to see the spokesperson for each country whilst they gave their votes! And what an interesting turn of events that proved to be.

But the 1994 contest is most remembered for... RIVERDANCE! Yes, Riverdance! Riverdance is without doubt the most popular interval act in the history of Eurovision, spawning one of the most successful dance shows of the 90s and 00s, continuing to stretch across the globe still today. Jean Butler and Michael Flatley became superstars, with Flatley going on to produce more and more Irish dance shows like Feet of Flames, and my personal favourite, Lord of the Dance. Riverdance became a chart-topping record in Ireland and performed well in charts across Europe; the score by Bill Whelan is undeniably beautiful, who rightfully went on to win a Grammy for his composition. So forget about the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest for today's folks, remember the 1994 contest instead! Listen to Riverdance and do an Irish jig! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Riverdance - the interval act of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest.